Improvement in car-seats of railway-cars



- I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'. E. F. SHOENBERGER.

Car Seat;

No. 45.759. Patented Jan. 3, 1865.

' Inventor: Witnesses,

E. SHOENBERGER'V 2 SheetsSh et 2.

I Car Seat.

Patented Jan. 3, 1865.

' inventon Witnesses= UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWVIN F. SHOENBERGER, OF PHILADELPHIA PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-SEATS OF RAILWAY-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 45,759, dated January 3, 1865.

- 1' 0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN F. SrIoENnEn- GER, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in the Seats of Railway-Oars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description l ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention consists of a longitudinal bar with teeth in combination with a cog-wheel so connected to the back of each seat of a row in a railway car-that one back cannot be turned without turning the whole, thereby preventing passengers from adjusting the backs to suit their ownconvenience, regardless of the inconvenience of others, and at the same time aifordin g to the conductor or other oflicer in charge the means for at once turning the whole of the backs simultaneously.

In order to enable others to make my invention, I will now proceed to describe the manner of constructing the same.

011 reference to the accompanying drawings which form apartof this specification, Figure l is aside view ofpart of a railway-car, aportion of the body being removed to illustrate my invention; Fig. 2, a transverse section of Fig. l on the line 1 2, and Fig. 3 a plan View.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents part of one side, and B a portiJn of the bottom, of a railway-car in which are arranged the usual double row of seats. Each seat consists of the padded board D secured at one end to the side A of the car-body and supported at the other end bythe vertical frame E, which extends above the padded board D, as seen in Fig 2.

Near the inner end of each seat is secured a vertical board, F, there being a space between the same and the side A of the car.

Each seat is provided with the usual back, G, an arm, H, being secured to each end ofeach back and one of the arms having a pin, 1), turning in the frame E, and the other arm having a pin, 0, which turns in the board F and also in a plate, K, attached to the side A of the carbody.

To the pin 0 of each seat is secured a small cog-wheel,f, having teeth adapted to those on a bar, L, which extends to nearly the entire length of the car-body and which rests on small rollers h, the journals of which turn in the boards E of the seats and in the plates K.

To one side of the car-body, and near one end of the same, is secured a bracket, M, in which turns a spindle, m, having a pinion, n, gearing into a rack formed on the upper edge of the bar L near the end of the same, the said bar resting on a roller, q, the journal, of which turn in the bracket M. The spindle m is provided with asuitable wheel or handle, P, on turning which the bar L must be moved horizontally, and must simultaneously move the backs of the whole of the seats of the row either to the right or left, according to the direcrion in which the said spindle m may be turned.

It is well known that passengers frequently monopolize more seats in a railway-car than they are entitled to, regardless of the inconvenience to others, two passengers frequently taking possession of two seats, which are intended to accommodate four,and so adjusting the backs that they (the passengers) can sit face to face and occupying one seat and resting their feet on the other.

By the use of my improvement no passenger can adjust one seat to suit his own convenience without moving the whole, and the movement of the whole of the seats may be placed under the control of the conductor by supplying him with a keyfora look, by means of which the wheel I or bar L may be readily secured.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent The bar Land its teeth, in combination with the cog-wheels f, so connected to the backs of the whole row of seats that one back cannot be moved without disturbing the whole, as set forth, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWIN F. SHOENBERGER.

Witnesses CHARLES E. FOSTER, JOHN WHITE. 

